Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a cleaning apparatus for cleaning a platelike workpiece such as a semiconductor wafer.
Description of the Related Art
A platelike workpiece such as a semiconductor wafer having a plurality of devices such as ICs formed on the front side is cut along division lines (streets), thereby dividing the workpiece into a plurality of chips corresponding to the plural devices. The workpiece processed by such cutting (dicing) is contaminated with foreign matter such as cut dust and it is therefore cleaned by a cleaning apparatus to remove this foreign matter.
The cleaning apparatus for cleaning the workpiece includes a chamber for defining a cleaning space, a rotatable chuck table for holding the workpiece in the chamber under suction, and a cleaning nozzle for spraying a cleaning fluid toward the workpiece from the upper side thereof (see Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2011-243833, for example). In this cleaning apparatus, the chuck table holding the workpiece under suction is rotated and the cleaning fluid is sprayed from the cleaning nozzle toward the workpiece to thereby remove the foreign matter sticking to the workpiece.